Double Trouble
by Screaming Lamb
Summary: A totally silly out-of-character story!


A response to the Juniper Berries quest.  
Rating: PG-13  
Timeline: sometime shortly after Chapter 44 of Hannibal  
  
  
  
DOUBLE TROUBLE  
  
The bedroom floor was no longer visible under the pile of discarded clothing. She had spent over an hour trying on different outfits and the pile of rejects on the floor grew larger by the minute. Only dainty dresses were among the heaps of clothing; she disliked wearing anything even remotely masculine. She finally decided on a very sleek and sheer ankle length ivory coloured dress. Another hour spent on her make-up and Margot Verger was almost ready for her date. She made one last change of earrings just before Paul Krendler rang her doorbell.  
  
Paul was an extremely charming and distinguished recently divorced gentleman. He and Margot had met the previous day during a tea party at the home of Margot's handsome brother, Mason. Paul was immediately smitten but thought it would be impolite to ask Margot out on a date right away. It was she who suggested they meet for dinner this evening. Now as he stood at her door with a bouquet of carnations, he was glad to have overcome his initial shyness and accept her invitation.  
  
"Hello Paul. How lovely to see you again."  
  
"You're even more beautiful than I remember, Margot. By the way, where are we going?"  
  
"You never ask, it spoils the surprise!"  
  
They arrived at a quaint little French restaurant and were seated in an intimate corner of the dining room. Dinner was ordered, the wine had been poured, and Paul was about to raise his glass when a shrill voice called his name.  
  
"Yo, Mr. Krendler!! Over here!!" One of Paul's co-workers, Clarice Starling, was seated two tables away and waving frantically to him. He suspected that Clarice had a serious crush on him, but because he found it highly inappropriate to socialize with female colleagues, he maintained a polite distance from her whenever possible. However, they were now outside the workplace and it would be rude to ignore Clarice's greeting. Paul Krendler despised rude people.  
  
Clarice was still calling out to him and waving while her escort remained hidden behind his menu. "Paul - you and your lady friend come over here and join us - we'll have ourselves a double date!"  
  
Both couples were soon seated together and Paul introduced Margot. Clarice's escort, however, kept his face hidden behind his menu. "Oh, this is Hannibal. He's kind of shy."  
  
Margot broke the awkward silence by bragging about the many charitable good deeds of her brother, Mason. Paul was trying to be attentive to the conversation when suddenly he felt a hand on his leg underneath the table, and he knew it wasn't Margot because she had both hands out in the open. He glanced up to see Clarice smiling slyly and winking at him. All the while, her mysterious companion remained with his head cast downwards and had not yet spoken a word. Fortunately just at that moment, their dinners arrived.  
  
The waiter was about to set down a plate of flambéed lamb, the flames gloriously outlining the meat, when he suddenly lost his footing and his hand plunged directly into the searing hot fire. He screamed as his hand rapidly caught fire and the flames travelled their way up his sleeve. The drama was short-lived, as the mysterious Hannibal sprang from his chair and doused the poor waiter's arm with the water from the pitcher on the table. He then spoke for the first time that evening. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's the smell of burning flesh!"  
  
The rest of the evening passed quickly and the foursome bid their farewells in the parking lot. Paul had to struggle to get away from Clarice's wandering fingers on his leg when he attempted to say goodnight with a polite handshake. He breathed a sigh of relief when she and Hannibal finally sped off into the night on what looked like a Harley Davidson.  
  
It was a little before midnight when Paul walked Margot to her front door. He politely declined her invitation to come in and was about to kiss her nicely on the cheek when she suddenly pulled back. "Hey! I just thought of something!"  
  
"What is it, Margot?"  
  
"Clarice and Hannibal left without paying their check!!!"  
  
FIN  
  
© 2002 by Screaming Lamb 


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